Things get ugly in the latest series of screenshots revealing the units of Sega's upcoming console real-time strategy game Stormrise, as both the Sai and the Echelon bring out their heavy hitters.
Compared to the sheer amount of power contained in the seven new units for Stormrise released today, the first and second unit updates seem tame. Whether you play as the technological Echelon, calling upon the titanic Eclipse - the most powerful vessel ever created - or you prefer the bio-engineered weapons of the Sai, such as the giant mutant crab beast seen above, things are bound to get more than a little messy. Check out all of the new units below, and try to keep the "MASSIVE DAMAGE" comments to a dull roar.
STORMRISE - Unit Descriptions
Echelon
Stalkers
Stalkers are tall menacing bipedal machines engineered to swiftly destroy their enemies. Multiple Stalkers on the move usually means a quick, brutal end to any conflict. Equipped with tremendous armour, the Stalker also has mini-guns, surface-to-air missiles and a powerful anti-armour laser at its disposal.
SPECIAL Abilities
Sam Missiles: Airborne units don't stand a chance against the Stalker's surface-to-air missiles.
Laser: The Stalker can transform into a devastating anti-armour laser.
Seekers
The eyes of the Echelon, Seekers were originally manufactured hundreds of years ago after the awakening to patrol the frontier and alert the Echelon to brewing trouble spots. Once a danger zone was discovered the Seekers would loiter around the area providing useful combat data to friendly forces including radar telemetry. That function is as useful today as it was when they were first created.
SPECIAL Abilities
Targeting Feed: The Seekers can use their Targeting Laser on nearby enemy units, giving all friendlies firing nearby an accuracy bonus.
The Eclipse
The Eclipse is the most powerful vessel ever created. Built to shield and save mankind from the storm, this vessel dwarfs anything created before it. With the state of world affairs in constant conflict, the Eclipse was modified to carry a battery of weapons, including the most powerful weapon ever created, the Polaris Rift. One unforeseen side effect of the anti-storm shielding was the shutdown of any Sai abilities underneath it.
SPECIAL Abilities
The Polaris Rift: The Polaris Rift is the main weapon of the Eclipse. When fired, it generates a Super Rift which causes a titanic explosion and destroys anything beneath it.
Anti-Ground Mode: The Eclipse changes its Anti-Air default focus by lowering itself and concentrating all of its defences on ground targets. This reduces its damage from ground-based threats and directs all its firepower that way as well.
Sai
Matriarchs
In the quest for the ultimate assault machine by Sai scientists, Matriarchs are a creation of genetically manipulated crabs infused with Sai energy. The gigantic and heavily armoured Matriarchs were more than the Sai bargained for. The first surprise was when the Matriarch gave birth to a clutch of Broodlings that swarmed to protect it. The second surprise was when the Matriarch launched jets of acid out of two toothy sphincters on its shoulders, sometimes at tremendous ranges in acid rain-like attacks.
SPECIAL Abilities
Acid Rain: The Matriarch shoots a high arcing gout of Acid which rains down, melting all those below.
Spawn Broodlings: The Matriarch can give birth to a swarm of Broodlings who upon emerging will protect the Matriarch with much ferocity.
Rift Worms
Ferocious predators, the Rift Worms have formed a close bond with the Sai and eagerly go into combat obliterating all those who oppose them with vicious blasts of Rift energy. Rift Worms fly with a freedom that machines do not possess and provide the Sai with a powerful all-round air unit capable of launching an extremely powerful Rift energy storm!
SPECIAL Abilities
Stormbringer: The Rift Worm can focus tremendous energies between its tails, resulting in a tremendous blast to its target.
Sirens
Sirens are the ultimate Sai energy users. Powerful women who are able to bend the laws of nature with seeming indifference, they come replete with multiple powerful abilities. Once they show signs of power as young teenagers the Sirens are taken off to a secret school to be trained in the Sai's highest arts, including levitating. The three most common powers displayed by Sirens include the ability to create a shield to protect nearby troops, the ability to teleport themselves to anywhere in sight and the amazing ability to summon a vortex of pure Rift Energy, destroying anything caught beneath it. A Siren on the battlefield spells doom for her enemies.
SPECIAL Abilities
Vortex: The Siren can summon in a massive vortex of energy which destroys any enemies in its path.
Mobile Shield: The Siren can summon forth a shield which helps to weaken the power of incoming shots over any units within its radius.
Blink: The Siren can teleport to a location within her line of sight, prepared for a surprise attack. On arriving, she has to physically recover from the teleportation so she is paralysed for a short time.